I am sure by now that many of you are aware of the collaborative efforts of Red Newt, Anthony Road and Fox Run called Tierce. It is a blend of all of their Rieslings from Seneca Lake. The wineries are located at opposite ends and sides of Seneca lake locations allowing the vintners to blend together and accentuate the beauty of each different parcel. Red Newt is located in the “banana belt” of Seneca Lake which has a western exposure and benefits from the predominate westerly winds that come off Seneca Lake bathing the vineyards with warm lake air late into the harvest. This considerable difference in warmth produces more fruit forward Rieslings with a fuller mouth feel then other areas of the Finger Lakes. Anthony Road and Fox run are both located on the Northwest side of Seneca Lake with an eastern exposure. This generally produces wines with higher acidity which when made in a dry style produce great citrus flavor. The one thing both locations share is the razors edge of minerality that run through many of the best Rieslings from the Finger Lakes.
I believe this is the second year of their collaboration and the results are stunning. The two characteristics that stand out to me are citrus and mineral. The nose is one of pronounced lime, orange zest and crushed wet stone. This is a wine where you could almost be satisfied by just smelling the great bouquet. On the palate Lime juice dominates which kept making me think margarita! The combination of citrus and flint really create a zesty after taste that seems to last 30+ seconds.
Overall I am really excited for the future of this collaboration. I hope this is just one of many efforts to create fantastic wine and promote the Finger Lakes at the same time. Who knows maybe they will give another great Finger Lakes varietal such as Gewurztraminer a try.
This paired great with some Scallops I made in a spicy Asian style. The lime overtones complimented the sweetness and brine of the Scallops.
Asian Diver Scallops
-8 sea scallops (preferably Diver)
-2 tbsp Wixson’s orange blossom honey (Finger Lakes)
-2 tbsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp chili oil
-2 tbsp lime juice
-1 tsp course mustard
-sea salt
-fresh ground pepper (preferably Tellicherry)
-toasted white and black sesame seeds
-whisk together all the ingredient except for the sesame seeds-marinate scallops for 30 minutes
-preheat a cast iron skillet or any other heavy bottomed pan
-meanwhile toast the sesame seeds over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, be careful not to burn them
-sear the scallops for 2-3 minutes per side
-the center of the scallops should not be cooked through. This ensure they will be nice and juice
-garnish with sesame seeds and service
